It has been suggested by a City Council member that property taxpayers whose legal residence is in Newport receive a discount on their taxes. Opponents argue that such an arrangement would discourage second home ownership in Newport, which has been a financial boon to the city.

[No]
The last thing Newport should be doing is discouraging second home ownership. Non-resident owners contribute equally to the cost of Newport’s services while utilizing fewer of those services, benefiting Newport residents. A prime example is the costs of Newport’s schools.

[Yes]
A tax exemption would be a benefit to our year round residents. Too many homes are “dark” in the offseason, and while we don’t have to pay to educate children in those homes, having vacant homes is damaging the fabric of our community.
I’m not sure that seasonal ownership is a financial boon to anyone but the person who sells their house to someone who wants to live here for 10 weeks of the year.

[Yes]
For those of us who live in Newport and this is our primary property, many of us are struggling with increase in taxes and utilities. Where else will we go? If Newport is a second property, and often an income property. As beautiful as Newport is, please make our stay in Newport more pleasant by adjusting the cost of our primary home here and discount our taxes. We keep the town beautiful and give a charm to the properties to encourage others to come here.

[Yes]
Might not make much difference to those who can afford a second home in Newport. How much of a differential? Perhaps the second tier could be those who own residential property as investment only, as multiple units stress the infrastructure and resources more than vacation owners.

[No]
Our property taxes are relatively low as it is (as a percentage of home value). Permanent residents use more services, part-timers spend more money here that was earned somewhere else. That’s already well enough balanced in my mind.

[Yes]
Think proper residents should get a break over people who buy primarily for investment & rent – they are nit really a meaningful part of the neighborhood & sometimes affect the neighborhood in a negative manner

[Yes]
Again, the locals put up with traffic and rude visitors, crowds etc and most of us do not profit from the huge influx of tourist. our life becomes more difficult in the summer. i dread tourist season. we should at least have a break on our taxes.

[Yes]
Even if you own 2or more homes in the city, you should get a local tax break on the home in which you reside, not the other(s). After all, you are making money on those other homes. Common sense.

[No]
First time hearing of this, but doesn’t that seem a little backward? The folks who are living here are using more resources than those who have the property as a second home. However, if you tie this to the previous question – could there be differences in taxation based on owner-occupied residences, part-time residences (not rented out while the owner is away), yearly rentals and short term rentals.

[Yes]
The problem is not out-of-town summer residents, but absentee landlords. My street is a mixture of resident and out-of-town owners. We residents have the year-round burden of maintaining our neighborhoods while struggling with issues such as parking. In my neighborhood, there are many multi-family dwellings without off-street parking (grandfathered). Their tenants hog the on-street parking places, and long-term (aging!) residents are pushed farther and farther away from their homes. The least we could get from the city would be a discount on our taxes without having to endure the humiliation of pleading poverty and old age.

[No]
The last word in taxation without representation. The non-resident taxpayer with a second home vacant much of the year is far less of a burden on municipal infrastructure and public services than the full time resident landowner.

[Yes]
The city is in desperate need of year-around residents to support a more stable, robust, and multi dimensional economy. Perhaps a tax system that favors residents as opposed to second home owners is a solid, structural way to built that. The second home market drives up prices yet provides little else for the economy year-around.

[Yes]
So many ordinances in Newport favor those who are second home owners. The town caters to tourism at the expense of year-round residents. Give year-rounders a break on at least one thing that will save them money and encourage goodwill that the city actually cares about its year-round residents.

[Yes]
We need to encourage year-round residency – and a preferred residents tax would help. People who choose Newport for a second home MIGHT be discouraged by a differential tax rate – but they choose Newport because they LOVE Newport, not because of a tax status.

No, We are residents but definitely feel this tax would be unfair. How about taxing the Mansions? Best properties in Newport go untaxed. Not really non-profit. They use our tax resources like Police, Fire, DPW.

Totally in favor of a two tier tax for rentals of less than a year. If you want to get families back to Newport, they need available housing at a fair rent. Currently investors purchase houses rent to the college at a premium and then get the summer rental at an extremely high rate. Many of these owners could not care any less about year round residents. The only thing they want is that rent check…They do not have to worry about he noise, trash, and parking they live elsewhere. Give a break to the year round residents who actually care about what happens here.

No, taxes should be based on value not type of ownership. What an administrative nightmare for the Tax Assesor’s Office. And how would it withstand a legal challenge since as several commentators pointed out, year-round residents use more services?

Newport Open Space Partnership
The Newport Open Space Partnership is embarking on a comprehensive open space planning process to create a vision for the long-term sustainability and stewardship of the parks, public open spaces, and trees in Newport.
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Important Local Websites

Bellevue-Ochre Point Neighborhood Association
And welcome to the Bellevue Ochre Point Neighborhood Association (BOPNA)’s site. This neighborhood association is one of many in Newport that, together and individually, provide valuable input to the City and its boards on various citizen concerns.
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Newport Open Space Partnership
The Newport Open Space Partnership is embarking on a comprehensive open space planning process to create a vision for the long-term sustainability and stewardship of the parks, public open spaces, and trees in Newport.
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Off Broadway Neighborhood Association
The Off Broadway Neighborhood Association was developed in 2003 to improve the quality of life for residents in the Newport, RI neighborhood bound by Broadway/Van Zandt Ave/Gould St/Hall/Warner/ Congdon/Tilley Ave/Malbone Rd.
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The Newport Health Equity Zone
The Newport Health Equity Zone is a city-wide coalition mobilizing residents and resources of the Broadway and North End neighborhoods to make Newport a place where everyone can thrive.
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The Point Association
The Point Association is a group of neighbors working together to improve the quality of life in our neighborhood by getting to know each other;preserving our historic heritage;maintaining the Point’s residential character;beautifying our parks, streets a
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Top of the Hill Association
Top of the Hill Association is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote social and cultural interaction among its neighborhood members, to maintain and enhance the character and integrity of the neighborhood, and to enhance the quality of lif
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